Composite boot or shoe.



No. 789,118. lPATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

\ G. P. BUTTBRFIBLD.

COMPOSITE BOOT OR SHOE.

APPLICATION-FILED AUG. 8.1904.

/l//T/.VESSES l/E/V 70H y www I Nrrnn STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

ArnNr Oriana.

GEORGE F. BUTTERFIELD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'IO GRACE I. BUTTERFIELD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

COMPOSITE BOOT OR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,118, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed August 8, 1904. Serial No. 219,848.

J0 fr/ZZ 71171/0777/ 712 7171/1/17/ 00u/cern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. BUTT uRFInLD, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Composite Boots or Shoes, of which the following' is a specification.

My present invention is a composite boot or shoe of improved construction embodying a leather or like flexible upper, an inner sole, of textile fabric, rubber-coated on its under side, a raw-rubber sheet applied immediately beneath said inner sole and extending over the edges of the middle sole, a canvas middle sole heavily rubber'7 friction coated on both sides, extending marginally as a welt beyond the upper and having a broad edgewise bindingl or entire covering of vulcanizable rubber to exclude moisture. These two textile soles are secured permanently to the interposed edge of the upper by a strong marginal seam. Next to the middle sole and between the two textile soles is a thin lengthwise strip of elastic metal not engaged by said seam, with openings for passage of the rubber in which it is embedded in the process of vulcanization,such spring-strip giving resilience to the sole and shoe. A compounded rubber outsole, held to the shoeinaproper mold and applied in the unvulcaniZed or partially-vulcanized condition, is then vulcanized upon the shoe so prepared and mounted on a last or foot-form, the heat and pressure of the vulcanizing process uniting the various parts permanently and forming an absolutely water-tight joint.l A loose or removable sole-lining may be employed and attached marginally to the shoe, if desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse section through my improved shoe. Fig. 2 is a sectional diagram showing detached or in process and in successive order the several parts of the shoe. Fig. 3 is a plan of a suitable form of spring-piece.

The numeral 5 represents the upper, 6 the textile inner sole, and 7 the textile middle sole, preferably a heavy open-mesh cottonduck, into which the frictionally-applied coatings of raw rubber are forced by calendering. Such friction-coating on the under side of the inner sole 6 gives temporary adhesion to the edges of the upper prior to forming the seam.

Between the soles 6 and 7 I inter pose a layer 8 of raw rubber and a thin metallic springpiece 9, preferably of spring-brass, to which the rubber will tenaciously adhere in subsequent vulcanizing. Openings 10 are formed through the metal to permit the rubber to pass and unite therein. The edges of the metal will be somewhat thinned to avoid presenting any sharp corners to the foot of the wearer.

The marginal seam 11 passes through and firmly unites the edges of insole 6, upper 5, rubber layer 8, and middle sole 7, as seen in Fig. 1, such seam being outside of the extreme edges of the metallic spring-piece 9, p

embedded in the rubber of layer 8, which presses in beneath it. The edges of this layer extend around and form an impervious covering for the projecting edges of middle sole 7 and are reinforced by a binding-strip of rubber 12. (See Fig. 2.) The seam extends through the inner edge of this strip also, its presence in the seam with layer 8 assuring an absolutely water-tight joint.

In practice layer 8 and binding-strip l2 will extend outwardly, as in Fig. 2when the seam 11 is formed which unites the two textile soles to the upper and layer 8. Then the margins of layer 8 and the free portions of binding-strip 12 are turned snugly under the edges of middle sole 7, care being taken to exclude all air and to press the parts firmly together.

The outer sole 13, having, preferably, a thin top layer of raw rubber, is formed of unvulsoles and the stilfener. Suitable clamps hold the welt edges down at the edges of the mold during the vulcanizing process.

I claim as my inventionl. A composite boot or shoe comprising a leather upper, a textile inner sole and middle sole both rubber-coated and sewed marginally to the upper, with an interposed rubber sheet adhering to both, the middle sole projecting edgewise beyond the seam and bound with rubber to exclude moisture, and a compounded rubber outer sole vulcanized directly upon said middle sole, substantially as set forth.

2. A composite boot or shoe, comprising a leather upper, a textile inner sole, a rubber layer applied to the bottom of said sole, a rubber-coated middle sole sewed marginally to the upper and insole and extending as a welt outwardly beyond the seam, a metallic springpiece interposed between said textile soles and embedded in the rubber during vulcanization, a heavy rubber binding inclosing the edges of said middle sole and an outer sole of compounded rubber secured in position with the other parts by the heat and pressure of vulcanization, whereby a durable and absolutely waterproof shoe is produced, substantially as set forth.

3. A composite boot or shoe, having a suitable upper and a bottom comprising a textile inner sole, rubber friction coated on its under surface, to the edges of which the inwardturned edges of the upper adhere, a sheet of rubber covering the exposed bottom of the insole and said edges, a longitudinal metallic spring-piece to which the rubber will adhere, and formed with openings through which the rubber will extend when vulcanized, a canvas middle sole rubber-coated on both sides, ap-

GEORGE BUTTERFIELD Witnesses:

A. H. SPENCER, A. T. PALMER. 

